


To Us and To Freedom

by fawndle



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Universe, Eren Yeager Has Issues, F/M, Female Protagonist, Fluff and Angst, Reader-Insert, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan Manga Spoilers, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 17:41:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30126471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fawndle/pseuds/fawndle
Summary: Abandoning your duties and comrades, you and Levi run away to find peace. In doing so, you flee to the enemy country Marley in hope that you can find the freedom you've both yearned for.***Will include manga spoilers, so please continue with caution***
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Reader
Kudos: 10





	To Us and To Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> hello lovelies! as said (depending on when you are reading this), this fic will include spoilers for the manga if you are not caught up with it. If you're fine with that, then by all means enjoy! if not, i'll see you at a later time 
> 
> this is inspired by eren & mikasa's dream in chapter 138 and partially what hange says to levi when he's unconscious after he gets blown up with zeke. 
> 
> without further ado, i present...to us and to freedom!

"What are you doing? Where are you taking me?"

Levi loosens his once tight grip around your wrist and stopped in his tracks. He stares out into the horizon, eyes glistening with hope and desire. With a sigh, he let go of your wrist and let his arm drop at his side. He didn't dare turn around, afraid that whatever he was chasing would get away.

You looked at him with confusion. Slightly panting, you stood next to him and studied him. His hair was glued to his face with perspiration and a few droplets fell on the side of his face. His face had softened from its usual stern and boring look into something you can't describe. It was new for you and for him. You smiled as the blazing orange sunset caused the pink flush on his cheeks to become a darker red. He looked like he was blushing and that made you giggle.

He looked at you for a split second before looking back immediately, making sure _it_ was still there. You waited patiently for him to explain but you surmised it wasn't going to come any time soon. He was mesmerized by whatever was in the distance.

Levi was at war with himself. Doubting thoughts of his decision seem to overpower his hopeful ones yet in an instant, those thoughts seem to disappear. Just as he was about to turn around and head back to the Scouts HQ, he saw it. He saw what he had been dreaming of ever since he was a little kid and living (more like dying) in the Underground. He had pushed it to the back of his mind as he got older and forgotten all about it until right now. He thought he would never see it--not in this lifetime, at least. But there it was. Right in front of him.

He raised his arm and pointed ahead of him. "Our freedom."

The confused look returned to your face. "What?"

"Right there. Beyond the hill and trees is our freedom. That's where I'm taking you. Taking us." He explains.

"But-"

"No. I don't care about anyone or anything else. I'm done." He says.

Levi still wasn't looking at you. He pushed his lips into a thin line and lowered his arm slowly. You cupped his face and stroked his cheek with your thumb. He nuzzled closer into your touch and pressed a small kiss into your palm. You smiled tiredly at him. You had discussed your exhaustion a few weeks prior. Both of you were tired of war, titans, death, guilt, pain, everything that came with this nightmare of a world.

However, you didn't expect him to want to leave it behind so soon. Paradis was finally beginning its advancement in technology. A train was being built as well as docks for things called 'boats'. It's been amazing to watch. As much as you wanted to be able to see Paradis once everything was finished, your desire for freedom was and always will be stronger.

"Okay," You finally say. "As long as I'm with you."

He held his hand out to you. You bit your lip and took his hand tightly. Levi turned his head to you and flashed you a small smile before taking off. You squealed and tried your best to keep up with him. He was a lot faster than you and much more stamina (curse those stupid Ackerman genes). He noticed you struggling and stopped. He gestured you to get on his back and you obeyed. In a heartbeat, he started running again. The wind blew through yours and his hair.

For the first time in years, you felt free.

Levi tightened his grip on your legs in fear that you would fall backward because of his speed. You lightly chucked at his concern. Falling was the least of your worries right now. You were too focused on the idea of being with Levi in peace for the rest of your life. Away from the titans, war, guilt, and your duties.

_Shit._

Desertion. Levi is a Corporal while you're just under his command. Both you and Levi have dedicated your lives to serving for the Scouts. Him more than you. He puts his heart and soul into his work and his duties are first priority. If the two of you were to get caught, God only knows what would happen to him.

Levi looks up at you and notices that you're distraught. He doesn't slow down but instead strokes your thigh with his index finger. You tighten your grip slightly around him and bury your head in his neck.

"Don't think about it too much," He says simply. "You'll regret it."

You nod and press a kiss on his cheek. Your adventure to freedom seemed like an eternity due to you making Levi stop every few minutes to rest. He was stubborn, of course. Constantly repeating that he was fine and wanted to get to the destination as quickly as possible before anyone notices that both of you are gone.

It's not long until the beach comes into view. It was slowly turning night. Bright stars were slowly making their appearance on their dark stage. You bit your lip and smiled. Levi stopped running and put you down. He was panting heavily and ran a hand through his hair. You gave him a guilty look in which he waved you off.

"So, why're we here?" You ask once he seemed to catch his breath.

He grabs your hand gently and leads you to the far left side of the beach. There's a wooden boat sitting in the sand. Next to it was Levi's horse who was kicking at the ground. You raised your eyebrow at Levi and he shrugged.

"I'm not just going to leave him here. He deserves freedom as much as we do."

You nod in agreement and smile at Levi's thoughtfulness. The first day you joined the Survey Corps, everyone warned you about Levi and his harsh demeanor. You were scared of him. Hell, everyone was. He's dubbed as humanity's strongest for a reason. However upon meeting him and earning his trust (and not soon after, winning his heart), you learned that underneath the stern face and cold grey-blue eyes and sarcastic tone he always seems to speak with was a man who just needed...a hug.

The first time you gave him one, he shoved you away. It was after the death of his squad members when they faced the Female Titan. You felt guilty so you walked up to him and let your body move for you. It resulted in you landing on your ass and Levi scoffing at you. The next time was after Commander Erwin Smith had died. You found him sitting alone against a tree with his knees pressed to his chest. He looked vulnerable and lonely. You sat next to him and ran a hand through his hair. To your surprise, he let you. You then pulled him closer to you and embraced him. It was for a brief moment because you respected his boundaries, but you could tell he needed it.

He helped you step into the boat and you took a seat closer to the front. Levi then grabbed his horse's reigns and chewed at his lips before signaling his horse to step in. His horse obeyed obviously and laid down in the back of the boat. Levi slowly pushed the boat into the water and hopped in once it started floating. He sat next to you and put a hand on your thigh as he rowed the boat.

"Do you know where we're going?" You turn to him.

"Marley." He mumbles.

That explains your attire. Before you had left, Levi handed you a navy blue suit and a white button-down. He wore the same except his suit was black and he had a red tie to go with it. You put your suit on in which he stated you looked good in. You returned the compliment and he scoffed. Weirdo. He then proceeded to stuff his penny coat pockets with two full purses and hastily went to the door.

"Why Marley? Won't they-"

"It'll be fine." He says.

You nod slowly. You trust him. You've always trusted him since day one. He seems to trust his own judgment so you let it go. You sighed and laid your head on his lap. He looked down at you and his lips curled into a small smile. He played with your hair while he continued to row the boat. You were lulled to sleep by the boat rocking and creaking with the waves.

You dream of your future life with Levi. A quaint log cabin comes ripples into your mind. It has a clear view of a lake and there's a forest next to it. It was quiet and in solitude just how Levi always wished he could live. Flowers adorned the cabin windows and a garden of some sort was placed strategically in the backyard. The scenery goes blurry and switches to you and Levi, his arm wrapped around your waist while you stand on your porch looking out to the lake. Smiles were plastered on both of your faces while you swayed together. The dream ended with you giggling as Levi was peppering your face with kisses.

Your eyes fluttered open to see Levi staring down at you with soft eyes. He helps you sit up, and you notice the boat had stopped. Lights illuminated the dock and you blinked. It hasn't registered in your mind that your freedom was a few feet away. Levi stretches his hand towards you and helps you stand up. He held his horse's reins in his other hand. Together, the three of you climbed onto the dock (surprisingly, you struggled more than his horse did). Quietly and hastily, you exited the dock and stood on the stone path that leads to the city. You let out a shaky breath and let your eyes flicker from the city in front of you to behind you.

"Levi," You swallow thickly. "I'm terrified."

"Don't be." He says simply.

He tightens his grip and leads you into the sleeping city. Soon after, he finds an empty building and quietly leads you inside (and the horse). You used your suit jacket as a blanket/pillow and curled up into yourself. He grimaced at having to sleep on a dirty floor without properly cleaning it first but he brushed his feelings aside. He laid down next to you and pulled you closer to him. He draped his suit jacket on top of both of you and sighed.

"Goodnight, Levi." You mumble.

"G'night."

***

It's been a few weeks since your arrival in Marley. The first few days, Levi allowed you to go sightseeing and then job hunting. Levi found a teashop that was hiring and instantly applied. You, however, had trouble finding a job. You didn't know what interested you yet. It's a good thing Levi was content with being the only one with a steady income for now otherwise you know he would be hounding our ass about it for days.

Nonetheless, the two of you tried ice cream and lollipops and all sorts of candies that you couldn't believe existed. Levi took a liking to lollipops and bought (stole would be a better word) a whole crate of them. You giggled at his new obsession which made him scoff. Levi Ackerman: a man of few words who likes tea now lollipops.

You saw many performances at the theater with Levi and teased him about how he should be an actor. He only scoffed and rolled his eyes. His face showed disinterred but deep down you know he was enjoying watching people dance around the stage and dramatically act out war scenes.

Your sightseeing days ended when you found yourselves in a wooded area and staring at an abandoned log cabin. You gasped and Levi looked at you with concern. It was just like how you dreamed. It was far away from the city and there was a clear view of a lake. It was beautiful.

"Here." You breathe out.

"Here?" He raises his eyebrow.

"It's like how I dreamed," You smiled. "We'd be alone like how you always wanted. And no one could find us even if they wanted to. It's a miracle we found it."

"Ignorance is bliss." Levi shrugs.

"Oh, imagine it, Levi. You and me living here. We can fix it up so it's all nice, and we can have a garden. Maybe some flowers over here and-"

Levi watched as you pointed to spots around the area and envisioned your perfect life. He watched as your eyes creased as your smile seemed to get even wider with every passing second. The sun rays illuminated your soft skin and eyes which Levi believed you looked ethereal.

"And the lake is perfect for our kids to-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Levi speaks. "Kids?"

You turn around and see a horrified look on his face. You twist your mouth and cup his face. Children have always been a sensitive topic for the two of you. You've only mentioned it once and Levi went into panic mode. Since then, you haven't brought it up. Granted, the two of you had only been together for a year when you brought it up.

"Not right now. Maybe in the future." You say softly.

"You want to have kids?" He blinks. "We aren't even married."

"Yet." You hint.

His face softens and he scoffs. "No promises."

You give him a quick peck on the lips and skip to the cabin. "C'mon, Levi. This cabin isn't going to fix itself."

***

As Levi was finishing up the cabin, you went into the city to buy quilts, curtains, and tablecloths. It was a compromise the two of you made after a small argument about time management. He said it would be faster if he did everything himself and left the decorating to you. You disagreed and wanted to help him with the handy work. Eventually, you gave in after he persuaded you with passionate kissing on the porch and whispered sweet nothings into your ear.

Were you embarrassed that you, a soldier, gave into something so foolish? Yes. Was it worth it? Hell yes.

After buying everything you needed, out the corner of your eye you saw a tea set that was a complete replica of the one Levi had back on Paradis. He adored that tea set dearly. With the money you had left, you bought it for him as a thank you present and hid it in one of the quilts.

Eagerly, you returned to the cabin. When you arrived, Levi is standing out on the porch and leaning against the railing. A smile grew on your face and you quickened your pace.

"All done?" You ask him.

He nods and leads you into the cabin. Your eyes widened at the sight. The once broke floorboards that creaked with each step you took were silent and shined in the sunlight. The dusty and cracked windows had been replaced and every nook and cranny had been cleaned of cobwebs and dust. A table has been placed in the middle of the kitchen along with chairs. The stovetop and oven were no longer rusty and the faucet no longer was leaky. You didn't need to see the rest of the house to know that it was already spotless.

You turned around to see him leaning against the doorframe proudly. You set your quilts and things down on the table before hugging him tightly and he wrapped his arms around your waist.

"Its perfect." You mumbled into his chest.

He hummed in response and you let go of him. You bit your lip excitedly, and he gave you a confused look.

"What?"

"I have a present for you," You giggle. You pull out the tea set from the quilts and quickly hide it behind your back as you turn around. You slowly walk back over to him and hold it out to him. "Ta-da!"

He takes the set and his eyes widen. He traces over it with his finger and his lips curl into a smile. He stares at it while he reaches his hand towards your hand and gives it a couple of pats. You chuckle, and he sets it down on a nearby counter. Your eyes meet each other and you stare for what seems like forever. If you could, you would look at him forever. He's breathtaking. His features become more prominent than they already are in the sunlight. His once grey eyes become a cool blue and his lips part ever so slightly.

Levi thinks the same about you. He admires the way your hair cascades down your shoulders. He watches as your eyes glisten as they always do ever since he met you. He now notices how your eyelashes brush against your cheekbones and how your cheeks are naturally flushed pink. He's never taken the time to take you all in. Now that he has, he doesn't think he can look away.

You're the first to sheepishly break eye contact. Levi hums and takes out two of the teacups from the set. He gives one to you and raises his in the air. You copied him with a raised eyebrow. You soon realized he was making a toast. You bit your lip at how stupid you were for buying teacups but no tea.

"To us," He says. "And to freedom."

**Author's Note:**

> am i hinting at a pregnancy arc? yes, yes i am. will it happen soon? no, no it won't. don't worry your pretty little heads (or you can because it could happen soon and i could be lying to you right now muahahah). i know some of you hate it when (y/n) is pregnant but *spoiler* its important to the story...or is it?
> 
> also i dunno what gender the horse is ok don't murder me i took a guess.
> 
> anyway, until next time <3


End file.
